


You promised.

by Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves



Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Death, Fluff, Other, sad boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves/pseuds/Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves
Summary: Optimus loves his friends with his all his spark. His human friend, Sari's tutor, is rather accident prone. But no worries, Optimus will keep them safe. Right?
Relationships: Optimus Prime/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 14





	You promised.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission done for @cantwritetosavemylife on tumblr! I hope you like it!

"I really wish you'd be more careful."

"Hey, I didn't ASK to get into these situations."

"You are when you go into that part of the neighborhood."

His human friend pouted in his back seat. Ever since they'd been tutoring Sari, Optimus had decided that they too, demanded protection. They were however, never safe from his constant nagging. Life was dangerous, particularly for a fleshie like them. Optimus sighed as he turned the corner to a nearby space burger.

"Let's just...get you a shake, and get that wound cleaned. Primus I've never met someone so nonchalant from a MUGGING."

"In his defense, he did try to leave when I forked over my cash."

"That's NOT making me feel better."

"Hey I could've been more hurt."

"Oh? Like when you fell off that railing and almost fell right to your death?"

There was a silence. Optimus sighed as he pulled up, transforming and letting them out. One of the workers came out, to take their order for fries and a milkshake. Which of course, Optimus paid for. Optimus wasn't a bad mech in the lightest, he just worried. And he loved. This cadet had so much affection in his spark, that it frustrated him, to have a loved one in danger constantly. Suffice to say, they were rather accident prone. Optimus knelt down to their level, and carefully mended their arm, sighing.

"You know I don't mean to lash out at you. I just don't like how nonchalant about something I very much care about. Please, take care of yourself more. For me, and Sari. Please?"

"...okay. I'll be extra careful, you worry wart."

"I can't get warts. I can get bolts, but warts are a human ailment."

"It's a figure of speech, Oppy."

"Oh sorry. Human sayings still take some getting used to. Why do the warts worry?"

"No clue, big mech. But I know one thing, I'm starving."

They grinned as the food finally came over. Soon as they took a sip of their shake, and a few bites of their fries, Optimus suddenly plucked them from their seat, and they heard a crash. After peeling their hands away from the shelter of her face, they saw exactly what happened. A driver almost drove his van right into them. Had it not been for Optimus's quick grab, and his pede practically destroying the hood, it'd be safe to say it wouldn't have fared well. Optimus looked around, carefully putting them down, and transforming.

"Bring your food, and let's go. You're staying with us until your unlucky streak is over, and you're safe."

They wanted to argue against it, but was hushed immediately by a roar of his engine. They packed up their things, and hopped in the front seat. As Optimus drove down the freeway, being sure to alert Fanzone of this incredibly dangerous driver, the little fleshie sighed.

"Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"I...I'm sorry you have to worry so much about me."

"You did not have to apologize. But, I appreciate it. Thank you. However, I worry about ALL humans. I just...worry about you more than most. You and Sari are VERY important to me. And I promise you. I'll keep you safe."

He had other friends before. Friends he couldn't protect. But this human, right here, munching on fries and petting his dashboard to show gratitude, was someone he wasn't going to fail. It was a promise he made to himself.   
\------------  
"How are they doing, Ratchet?"

"They've been better."

Optimus and the rest of the team were at the nearest hospital. The little fleshie had suddenly fallen ill, and Optimus bolted them to the hospital immediately. They didn't know what it was, and Sari wasn't able to help, as they had picked her up from school after the said event. Optimus wished for just a few minutes, to be a human. He hated being out here, in the parking lot, outside of the hospital. It felt so insincere, almost nonchalant. He wanted to be in the waiting room, ready to comfort and hold them. But no, he was here, so far away, as if he were a cargo truck waiting for materials to transport. His team was supportive as ever, Bulkhead carefully moving the cars to the side to give him room to pace, Ratchet keeping Bumblebee from trouble, and Prowl helping Sari poke through the window to look.

"Anything yet, Sari?"

"...nope. Nothin'."

"You sure we shouldn't just let Sari go inside? She's small enough."

"What? No! I wanna be here for Optimus!"

"...thanks Sari."

He carefully patted her helm, and continued pacing. Prowl sighed as he continued holding her.

"You know Optimus, whatever happens isn't-"

"Don't. I made a promise to them, Prowl. I promised nothing would happen to them. And now that something might've-"

He was frozen for a moment, before he shook his helm, turning around to further sulk. They were waiting for a few more hours, the sun setting in the horizon. Sari had fallen asleep next to Bumblebee, Bulkhead was sketching the horizon, and Prowl had convinced Optimus to sit next to him, holding onto his shoulder. They spoke not a word, but the silence meant everything to Optimus. What would've meant more to him? If he could've kept to his promise. Prowl turned his helm towards the window, to where the doctor was. Prowl, as carefully as he could, opened the window, everyone scrambling and fumbling for information. 

"Well?! How are they?"

The doctor sighed, and softly shook his head.

"I apologize. But they are no longer with us. We've concluded it to a heart attack."

Prowl cocked his helm to the side.

"Heart attack? I thought that only happened to the older or weaker humans."

"Sometimes humans die for reasons that we can't predict. There's even such a thing as humans spontaneously dying for no apparent reason. There's nothing any of you could've done. We apologize."

Optimus was silent. His shoulders sank, and he nodded.

"I...I understand. Sari, what do you humans do when this happens?"

"Cremation is one. It's where you keep the ashes of the body. Or we could bury them in a plot."

"I think the plot is best. Doctor, may we have them?"

He held open his palms, and the doctor left, only to return a moment later, the body on top of a gurney. The doctor would've called their relatives for permission, but apparently these bots were their only family. Optimus carefully lifted their body in his hands, lightly caressing their cheek with his thumb.

"They...just look asleep."

He graced his thumb across their lips, and his audials fell along with his spark. No breath.

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for trying. Thank you very much."

He definitely did more than Optimus ever could.

\-----------

"Optimus? It's been two weeks. When you coming back?"

Bumblebee messaged his leader from the command center. Optimus, ever since the burial, hadn't slept at the base, but rather, under the freeway bridge. He'd come by to the base to handle things, and contributed to the same work as always, but hadn't even touched his room for an entire two weeks. He sighed on the comm link.

"When it stops hurting, being in that room, Bumblebee. When it stops hurting."

Optimus hung up, and sighed. He looked at the space burger across the road, and nodded. He drove towards it, and pulled up towards the drive thru. He ordered fries, and a shake. He pulled up to the dumpster with his food, and pulled the foul smelling container towards him. He dumped the fries and shake in his mouth, and as expected, his body purged itself, forcing the food (as well as a decent amount of energon) into the dumpster. Did it hurt? Terribly so. But it was a pinprick compared to the pain he was feeling in his spark. He deserved this for his failure. Upon purging a second time, lubricant leaked from his optics, down his cheeks.

"I'm...sorry."

One friend failed was bad enough. But two? Was unbearable. 

Whatever fate came for him, he deserved it.


End file.
